Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty

Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty (1959) is a cinematic masterpiece known for its distinctive geometric art style and its musical score adapted from Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet. 

The Royal Curse

At the christening of Princess Aurora, the uninvited evil fairy Maleficent casts a vengeful spell: before the sun sets on Aurora’s 16th birthday, she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die.

A Softened Fate

One of the three good fairies, Merryweather, uses her own gift to weaken the curse: Aurora will not die, but instead fall into a deep sleep that can only be broken by True Love's Kiss.

Hiding in the Forest

To protect her, the three fairies—Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather—raise Aurora in a remote cottage, renaming her Briar Rose and forgoing magic to stay hidden.

Fateful Meeting: On her 16th birthday, Aurora meets a stranger in the woods, and they fall in love instantly, unaware they are actually betrothed as Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora.

The Spell is Cast: Despite the fairies' efforts, Maleficent lures Aurora into a high tower where she pricks her finger and falls into an enchanted slumber. The fairies then put the entire kingdom to sleep to spare them the grief of the lost princess.

The Final Battle: Maleficent

They are actually betrothed as Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora.

The Spell is Cast

Despite the fairies' efforts, Maleficent lures Aurora into a high tower where she pricks her finger and falls into an enchanted slumber. The fairies then put the entire kingdom to sleep to spare them the grief of the lost princess.

The Final Battle: Maleficent kidnaps Prince Phillip, but the fairies rescue him, arming him with the Sword of Truth and Shield of Virtue. In a climactic showdown, Phillip defeats Maleficent—who transforms into a massive dragon—and awakens Aurora with a kiss, breaking the spell for the whole kingdom. 

~ Key Cultural Facts ~

Artistic Innovation

It was the first animated film shot in the ultra-wide Super Technirama 70 format.

Historic Status

In 2019, the National Film Registry selected it for preservation due to its cultural and aesthetic significance.

Minimal Dialogue

Aurora is notable for having very little screen time (approx. 18 minutes) and only a few lines of dialogue once she reaches adulthood.